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Modi's development promises hollow, false: Sonia

7 Dec 2012, 1656 hrs IST, AGENCIES

Accusing
Narendra Modi government of discriminating Saurashtra region, Congress President
Sonia Gandhi today accused it of making "tall" claims of development in Gujarat
and said progress is nowhere to be seen and ruling BJP's promises are "hollow
and false".

Addressing two separate rallies in the state ahead of the
first phase of voting in the assembly elections on December 13, Sonia charged
that "they (Modi and BJP) have no interest in the poor and the common people but
are only interested is development of its own and a select few
people."

She addressed first rally in a village near Mandvi town of
Surat district of South Gujarat and her second rally was in Keshod town of
Junagadh district in Saurashtra region.

Sonia rubbed in the regional
inequality issue in Gujarat saying "why Saurashtra region was being ignored when
it came to development"? The issue of discrimination against Saurashtra was
earlier also raised by former BJP leader Keshubhai Patel.

"The
development which was promised in a big way is nowhere to be seen in this tribal
land...because what they promised were hollow and false," Sonia alleged
addressing a huge poll rally at Mandvi.

"This is the land of Mahatma
Gandhi and Sardar Patel who used to preach what they practiced. Now, there are
people who give big advice but not follow them," she said taking on Modi without
naming him.

The Congress chief refrained from directly attacking
Modi, who in the run up to the elections had time and again personally targeted
her party leaders. However, she raised the issue of performance of Modi
government in the last ten years.

"It is unfortunate that despite
being in power for the last one decade, this BJP government has failed to
bring
Narmada water for irrigation to Saurashtra," Gandhi said touching an
another important issue of water in this election.

Sonia said it is
"shameful" that the BJP government is conjuring dreams that 110 dams of the
region will be filled by Narmada water.

Raising the issue of farmers suicide in recent past, she said
"it is painful that farmers had to end lives because of shortage of fertiliser,
water and electricity for agriculture".

She alleged BJP has done
"maximum injustice": to farmers of this region.

Nearly 4.5 lakh
farmers are facing shortage of electricity and nearly 57 areas in the region are
in the dark zone but the state government is selling electricity to other
states, Sonia said.

She claimed fertiliser given by UPA government is
handed over to industrialists as raw material and farmers have to purchase by
paying them.

Despite UPA government's decision to waive farmers'
agriculture loan, farmers are in debt because of the state government policy,
she alleged.

Raking up the issue of malnutrition, she charged 47 per
cent children are suffering from malnutrition and ten lakh youths are jobless
while government employees are being exploited.

The Congress
President said "it is unfortunate that false promises are made for getting
mileage in elections".

"UPA government has been allocating 1000s of
crores of rupees to various states, including Gujarat, without any bias. But
nobody knows how this money is spent (in Gujarat)," she said.

"Why
is poverty still looming in the tribal population of the state? Why there is no
change in the lives, position and financial condition of tribal," Sonia
wondered. There are around 30 tribal dominated constituencies in the eastern
parts of the state, which were on the radar of the Congress president, while she
pitched hard votes from there.

"There is no water in hilly villages
of tribal areas, the BJP had shown you the dream of building 2.25 lakh lakes and
dams... where are they ?? Where is employment for the tribal people," she
asked.

The AICC president also said that Congress was responsible for
the development of South Gujarat. The roads which you are seeing here are made
under the Prime Minister rural road scheme.

Sonia said that Congress
stood with the people of Gujarat at the time of drought, earthquake and
cyclones.

She alleged because of the policies of BJP government, the
hardships of the common man have increased. "If the government attended to your
problems, you would not have faced so many problems", she said.

The
Congress chief said the UPA government had waived loans to the debt-ridden
farmers but their condition in Gujarat has not changed because of the
"anti-people" policies pursued by the BJP government.

She also
alleged that there are so many unemployed youths, malnourished children because
of lack of education and health in the state.

Gesturing towards the
large number of women and girls, Sonia alleged "women in the state, who works
shoulder to shoulder, are also being torched, exploited and being harassed in
Gujarat where situation of law and order is deteriorating."

She
emphasized on effecting change in Gujarat and said, "It is necessary to bring
revolutionary change in Gujarat politics and only Congress can do that". She
appealed to the people to fight against the state government's "injustice" to
Saurashtra and elect Congress.